Thursday, November 09, 2006

There are unnerving news reports about more possible layoffs at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News. This is very distressing. The papers have already seen staff reductions and I can see the affect of this on the depth and breadth of reporting the remaining staff are able to do. So, I'm asking you to consider subscribing, if you don't already. As a blogger I depend on the mainstream press, especially the papers, for reliable information and as a primary research resource. One of the great joys of moving to this area, many years ago, was the presence of a good daily paper.

The Inquirer can be delivered to your doorstep every day of the year for a total of $273.00 (subscribe here). That is not a lot of money. In my house that compares to about 19 large pizzas (delivery + tip), 12 new hardback books, 15 or so cds, or 12 sweaters. It is not a lot of money. You don't get the full paper online; you need the printed paper.

As a note to the papers' advertisers, while my household tosses the ads and flyers that show up in our mailbox, we review those that come with the paper. If we are planning to make a big ticket purchase we track that item(s) in the newspaper ads until we see a price we like. I guess we should start notifying businesses we patronize because of newspaper ads of the ads effectiveness.

The holidays are coming. If you are stumped for a gift, consider giving someone a paper subscription.

(Disclosure note: No one in my household, nor of my relatives or in-laws, are employed by either Philadelphia paper.)

3 comments:

i enjoy your blog and look forward to reading it, but I must disagree with you the Inquirer simply... is not a "good" paper. It is designed for people with short attention spans. It posts how many days that it's been hot outside, who wouldn't know that anyway? Real news please. Perhaps it once was a good paper to read, but not anymore. I'm certainly not subscribing to the paper to save jobs, print a better paper and that will save jobs.

I would agree that the quality of the paper has decreased but it remains, in my view, the best possible resource for local news. For national there is CNN and other sources, but for Philly news? What else you got? I say we stick with it and support it and call for improvement from the inside as subscribers. Just my views, though. You are welcome to disagree and thank you for your kind words on the blog. I am glad you enjoy it.

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